Arsenal Aiming for Women’s Champions League Final as They Take on Lyon in Semi-Finals

Renee Slegers’ Arsenal side is set to face European heavyweights Lyon this Saturday in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League showdown, armed with “belief and bravery” following a remarkable transformation during her tenure.

The 36-year-old former Dutch international stepped up as interim head coach after Jonas Eidevall’s resignation in October, which came on the back of a disappointing start to the Women’s Super League (WSL) season.

Since her arrival, Slegers has led the team to an impressive record of ten wins and a draw, securing her position on a permanent basis without looking back.

No other team in the WSL has garnered more points (24) or netted more goals (34) than the Gunners since the turn of the year.

Under Slegers’ leadership, Arsenal has accumulated 40 points from 15 WSL matches, surpassing the leaders Chelsea during the same stretch.

However, despite their exceptional form, Arsenal is unlikely to catch Sonia Bompastor’s Lyon side, who sit three points clear at the top of the table and have a game in hand as they pursue a sixth consecutive title.

Arsenal boasts a European pedigree unmatched by their domestic competitors, as they remain the only English team to have lifted the continental trophy, achieving this feat in 2007.

This season, Slegers’ squad has demonstrated their capacity to thrive under pressure, staging a remarkable comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the first leg of their quarter-final against Real Madrid, ultimately winning 3-2 on aggregate.

Facing Lyon, the eight-time European champions who eliminated Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and currently lead the French Première Ligue, presents a stern challenge. However, Slegers believes the atmosphere at the Emirates could work in their favour.

This season, Arsenal has made the men’s team’s home ground the primary venue for most women’s games, building on impressive attendances from last season.

“This is such a special place, especially with so many fans,” Slegers reflected following this week’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Leicester at the Emirates.

“If we bring our belief and perform at our highest level, I believe we can achieve something extraordinary.

“We have huge respect for Lyon and everything they’ve accomplished in the Champions League; their team possesses remarkable qualities.

“It’s going to be a significant challenge, but we must approach this semi-final with the belief that we can create a memorable outcome. We will undoubtedly enter with belief and bravery.”

Arsenal is on a sensational scoring spree, boasting an outstanding record at the Emirates. They’ve won their last eight home matches across all competitions by a staggering aggregate score of 31-2.

Slegers, who previously served as Eidevall’s assistant, expressed her optimism following the Leicester triumph but remains cognisant of the formidable challenge ahead.

“It’s a very positive situation,” she stated. “It’s everything we aimed for, which is great, but we must also be realistic and recognise that the level of challenge will elevate significantly on Saturday.”

The Arsenal manager is hopeful that forwards Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo, both absent from the Leicester match, will be ready to feature against Lyon. Russo is Arsenal’s top scorer this season, having netted twice in that crucial quarter-final comeback against Real Madrid, while Kelly provided two assists in the same game.

The winner from this two-legged semi-final is set to face either Chelsea or defending champions Barcelona in the final scheduled for Lisbon on May 24.